Chronicles I: Reap What You Sow
by darknessness
Summary: Ree is no ordinary human. She is a seeder, dangerous and powerful. When a rival clan of seeders threatens her town of Never, will she be able to unite the townsfolk and survive?
1. Prologue

Author's Note: This was originally posted on ACC (my username on there is squaremonkey), but I decided to post it here as well. The rest of the story has nothing to do with the prologue.

I love this story. :D Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Animal Crossing does not belong to me.

* * *

Prologue

The world below was in chaos. Gangs of animals rioted in the streets, food was hoarded by the few wealthy while children starved in their mothers' arms, and the land was torn to useless, barren pieces.

A tall figure, standing somewhere above the world, could only watch in horror as the animals tore each other apart. "I... I don't understand," he murmured, almost to himself. "I gave them the perfect world, the perfect life. How could they throw all that away?"

Another figure, identically tall and powerful, stepped out of the shadows and stood beside the first. She also watched the destroyed globe, but with an air of satisfaction.

"Your way didn't work," she smugly pointed out, and, with a wave of her hand, wiped clean the rubble until the world below was as grassy and as beautifully empty as when they started. Thus finished, she turned to him once more, her features hard. He continued to watch raptly as the earth turned, patiently waiting to be filled with creatures.

"Your way didn't work," she repeated. "I told you that perfection wouldn't work. I told you, again and again, that they needed hardship. But, of course, why would you listen to me?"

The man began to move his hands over the globe, muttering under his breath and taking no notice of the livid woman next to him. "Separate them... maybe in seclusion they will be able to appreciate their gifts..." As he moved his hands, cliffs rose along the landscape, dividing the terrain into equal portions.

She slapped her hand onto his, stopping his creation. "Listen to me!" she spat, her eyes blazing. "I told you that perfection couldn't work! And you still can't understand why, can you? Because _life isn't perfect_! Your idea of a perfect Animal Crossing was nice and all, but was incredibly naive! The beings you create crave a struggle. If we don't provide one, they'll try to make one themselves! And then we'll end up with what I just removed!"

He glared back at her. "You may be right, but giving them the power to consciously destroy each other is not the way to satisfy their appetite for violence!"

"Well, _brother_, as we just saw, nothing destroys quite as fast as your _perfect_ world!" With those hateful words, she waved her hand and a group of humans appeared on the globe.

"What are _they_?" he asked in a tone of disgust and disapproval.

"Seeders," she replied tauntingly, "with the power to change and destroy the towns you've just created."

He strode off angrily into the limitless shadows, pausing only to throw these words over his shoulder:

_"I'll leave you to your destruction. But just remember this: You can only reap the seeds you sow."_


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own Ree, and nothing else. Words in italics are Ree's thoughts.

* * *

Chapter 1  
A human girl stepped out of her spacious house. She yawned and stretched, catlike, in the early morning sun. In fact, she felt rather predatory as she contemplated the birds twittering loudly above her.

Above her... the words in her mind brought back snatches of memory, or maybe it was a dream? There were two people, one male and one female, in a darkened room... They were arguing about... something, something vitally important, while a green ball rotated in midair, about the height of their chests...

A dream, then. There _was_ a dreamlike quality about the hazy scene... although it had seemed horribly real at the time...

One thing stood out in her mind: She could feel power oozing from the pair, power of such magnitude that it made hers look like cheap card tricks, no matter what her parents said...

A feeling cold as ice water slithered down her spine, making her shudder. She shook her head once to dispel her dark thoughts, then set off for her day's tasks.

She smiled once, reveling in the atmosphere of anticipation. Traveling always exhilarated her, especially when there were towns to be messed with at the end.

She would let _nothing_ spoil her fun.

* * *

"Thanks, Pelly! Be seeing you!" Dotty the rabbit waved cheerfully as she backed out the door, lugging her heavy bags. Seeing a human walking a few yards away, Dotty decided to introduce herself.

"Hello there, wee one!" she called, bounding over to the girl's side and leaving her belongings sitting on the cobblestones. "My name is Dotty. I'm new here! It's really nice to meet you, and I'm sure we're going to be best friends!"

The human responded with a roll of her eyes and continued on her way.

But Dotty was not one to be blown off so easily. "What's your name?" she asked with determined peppiness.

"M'name's Ariana, but everyone calls me Ree," the girl replied flatly, with another eyeroll.

"Ree... What a pretty name! Where do you live? Maybe we can hang out later! Once I get unpacked, of course!" Dotty giggled.

Ree winced, as though she found the rabbit's high-pitched laughter physically painful. "Look, Spotty, or whatever your name is, you're annoying me. Annoying me is a dangerous thing to do. I suggest you run along to your little house, lock the doors and windows, and never speak to me again." She turned to leave, satisfied that she had scared the bunny off.

A pause. Then:

"It's Dotty, not Spotty."

The human lazily flicked her wrist at Dotty, then left without another word.

Dotty, puzzled, started to follow her, but stopped as an awful numb feeling crept up her legs. She cried out in shock, and turned in vain to run away. Within a few seconds, she stood completely frozen, a look of utter terror on her face.

Ree didn't even look back.

* * *

The human walked briskly down the road to Flower, lost in thought.

_Eventually my seed will wear off... hopefully that Spotty chick will be too scared to say anything, or maybe she'll even move straight out!_ Ree thought, chuckling darkly to herself.

_Of course, she may be tougher than I thought,_ she contemplated. _Oh well. I can always get Apollo to help me with damage control, if I have to._

Ree was the sort of person who could make you believe the sky was orange if you listened to her long enough. With the giant eagle Apollo's intimidation, she had the residents of her town Never wrapped around her pinky.

With this planned, her thoughts turned to the road ahead.

_Flower,_ she thought with a smirk. _They really should teach kids better... although it __would__ make my job harder..._

Ree reached the gate and read off the code she was given online. The two police dogs saluted her as she passed them into the town of Flower.

Flower was... tiny. It was empty except for trees, and the outline of a small shack could be seen in the distance. In the air hung the smell of flowers and- yep, rough unwashed animals.

Another girl came dashing up to Ree.

"Hey, sorry I'm late. You must be Ree! Ohmygosh it's so nice to meet you in person! I'm Annie," she said, slightly out of breath. Ree put on a falsely cheerful smile and stepped in for a little girly hug.

"I know, right? You look just like I imagined you would. Isn't that cool?" Ree gushed, completely out of character. Annie _did_ look exactly like Ree had imagined: a flower in her short blond hair and wearing a pink flowery dress. In other words, clueless and completely vulnerable.

If only she knew what she was in for.


	3. Chapter 2

Thanks for the review, Josh. ^.^

I started writing this about six months ago. I've really changed as a writer since then, so the later chapters (this story is already finished, I just need to upload it) will be much better. So anyways, just enjoy the fic!

Disclaimer: I don't own Animal Crossing.

* * *

Chapter 2  
Ree groaned inwardly, not paying a speck of attention to Annie, who was chatting away as they walked along a pathway in Flower.

"...and so then, this CAH-RAZY raccoon comes up and he's all like, 'You owe me 19,800 bells,' and I'm all like, no way? All that..."

_I could probably blow up the dirt in her path without her noticing._

"...parents said they'd pay for the rent, but I guess not..."

_I could probably fall down dead under her feet without her noticing._

"...so I'm stuck with all this debt, right? First day here and already..."

_If she doesn't shut up in the next three seconds I am going to STAB HER!_

"...but then Daisy gave me--"

"Hey, would you mind if I went and did a little fishing?" Ree interrupted.

"Um, sure, that's fine, I guess," Annie said, caught off guard. She dug through her pockets. "I... don't think I have a fishing rod..." her voice trailed off.

"Oh, that's okay, you go on ahead. I'll just be a minute," said Ree breezily, leaving Annie in the dust.

"Finally," she muttered in relief, grateful to have Annie at her back. She retraced her steps to the main gate, where hopefully she could pick up a map and choose the best places to drop her seeds.

Ree had almost reached the dark archway of the gateroom when a boy, wearing a black shirt and a rainbow feather in his hair, popped out. He jumped slightly when he saw Ree watching him, then quickly stuffed something in his pockets.

Craning her neck, Ree caught sight of the edge of a seed disappearing into his bag. "You're a seeder," she said warily.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he retorted, matching her tone.

"I'm one, too." Ree flashed one of the flat clear disks at him.

He visibly relaxed. "Well, then. I'm Nate," he said, sticking out his hand.

"Ree." She shook it, sizing him up.

Ree had met a few other seeders before, and knew from experience to be cautious around them.

After all, she _would_ be wary if she met someone like herself.

Most seeders enjoyed the violent, thorough demolition of weaker, unsuspecting towns. However, Ree had more of a taste for the subtle art of messing with people's minds.

Ree noticed Nate raking his eyes over her, taking in her simple white ponytail, unique red and black dress, and sharp gaze.

"Well, then," he repeated, rubbing his hands together conspiratorially. "How 'bout this: you go occupy what's-her-face while I do my seeding, then I'll do the same for you, and we'll just stay out of each other's way."

"_Or_," Ree said, crossing her arms, "_I_ could do _my_ seeding first, since _I_ was already here, and then I'd distract Annie for you after I was done. Deal?"

"Ohhhhhh, you're a sharp one. Deal." They shook hands once more, then continued in opposite directions through Flower.

Ree didn't trust him, not one bit.

* * *

Gabi set a teapot and two empty cups down on her table.

_Oh, I do hope Dotty will arrive soon!_ she thought, bouncing happily in anticipation of her best friend. Someone knocked at the door, and she hopped over to answer it.

"Coming, honeybun!" she sang, throwing the door open...

...and Dotty collapsed, shaking with sobs, onto Gabi's shoulders.

"Dotty!" she exclaimed in alarm, taking in the rabbit's eyes wild with fright in her tearstained face. "What's wrong? What happened?"

Dotty's eyes darted around the room as though a threat could be hiding behind the cutesy furniture.

"R-R-R-R-Ree," was all she could force out before her knees buckled in terror once more.

* * *

Ree was demonstrating to Annie the best technique for catching agrias butterflies when Nate sprinted up to the pair. He bent over with his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath. The girls exchanged a glance.

"Hey... ladies," he panted. "Just wanted... to say... that I'm leaving... doctor's appointment... and that... I had a really great time." He leaned against a tree, holding a stitch in his side and sucking in huge lungfulls of air.

Annie giggled. "Sheesh, Nate, I think you need to lay off the potato chips and video games."

"Hey," he looked up indignantly, "you'd be tired too, if you'd just run all over town looking for yourself."

"Looking for yourself?" Ree smirked. "Well, allow me to help you with that." She pulled a compact mirror out of her pockets and held it up to his face. "There you are!" she exclaimed mockingly.

"Very funny. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have better things to do with my day than be made fun of by you two," said Nate in an exaggerated, snooty manner. Both girls laughed as he pranced off.

"Hey, would you like to go back to my house? We can give each other makeovers!" Annie said brightly once Nate had disappeared.

_You have GOT to be kidding me._

"Uh... yeah, sure..." Ree glanced at her watch, then slapped her hand to her forehead. "Oh no! It's 12:30 already? I have to leave, I'm so late!"

"Late for what?" the concerned Annie asked.

"Um... my friend's birthday party! It's at 1:00," she invented on the spot.

"Really? That sounds like fun!"

"Yeah. Well, I'd better leave... y'know, to get everything set up."

"Okay. I'll see you later! Maybe next time I can come over to see your town!"

_Riiight. Never in a million years, sweetheart,_ thought Ree sarcastically while she waved with a phony smile plastered on her face.

Finally she passed through the path to tiny Flower, and she felt a surge of relief as the heavy gates closed with a thud behind her.

"FREEDOM!" Ree cheered.


	4. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Animal Crossing belongs to Nintendo.

* * *

Chapter 3  
"From what you've told me, honeybun, it sounds like you just fell in a pitfall," Gabi said, sipping her tea.

Dotty sat across from her, stubbornly sticking to her outlandish story. Gabi had given her friend tea until she was calm enough to speak, while Dotty's fear was slowly replaced by another emotion: anger.

"I'm telling you, Gabi, this wasn't just a pitfall!" Dotty insisted.

The white rabbit sighed, exasperated. "Dotty, it's not that outrageous. Sometimes fossils or gyroids are left in the ground too long, and they turn into pitfalls. Then someone comes along, and the next thing you know you're wriggling around in the dirt. It's nobody's fault, it just happens."

"Ugh!" the normally gentle rabbit yelled in frustration. "Where's the mayor? I need to talk to someone in charge!:

"Um, the mayor's at the town hall, but..." Gabi's voice trailed off. Dotty glared at her. "... well, Apollo is the one that really runs the town."

"Okay. Great. Take me to Apollo."

"A-are you sure that's such a good idea? Apollo's not exactly... nice, and, well, he... scares me."

"Yes, I'm sure. Something has to be done about this Ree girl before she hurts somebody else." Dotty's eyes flashed with determination.

* * *

"Ha _HA_, that was GREAT!" a voice crowed in triumph from behind Ree.

"Holy flip!" Ree yelled, whirling around to find Nate standing a few steps behind her. "Give me a heart attack, why don't you? How long have you been following me?"

"'Holy flip?'" Nate repeated, sniggering. Ree came at him threateningly, and he held up his hands in surrender. "Hey hey hey whoa whoa hey," he said quickly, backing off. "Take it easy, there. I haven't been following you, really. Okay, so I might have waited for you to leave, and then maybe walked in the same direction as you, but that doesn't really count as _stalking_, does it?"

Ree clenched her fists, then continued walking along the empty road.

Nate trotted to catch up to her. "Well, at least I had a good reason, right?" he pleaded.

"Oh, I can't _wait_ to hear this one," she said, heavily sarcastic.

"What seeds did you plant?" he asked abruptly.

"Nothing much, just a couple of my own invention."

"Your own invention? I'm impressed. I've never known any seeders who make up their own seeds before. Well, there was that one idiot who joined the Clan a few months back, but he fell into some rift in the space-time continuum, or something like that..."

He _did_ look genuinely impressed. But Ree knew too much of seeders to be flattered by his praise. "Why do you ask?" she said suspiciously.

"Because you have power," he replied frankly. "Loads of it. I can tell, I felt it from your seeds back there. Talent like yours is something you want on your side. Something _everyone_ wants on their side."

Ree looked dubious at his somber words. They continued in silence for a few minutes.

"So..." she began, breaking the sudden awkwardness, "what'd _you_ do to her?"

"Bricked," he said with a grin. "I waited to activate it until you left. The moron won't know what hit her!"

He looked around, then noticed that Ree had stopped several steps back and was now staring at him in speechless rage.

"You bricked her?" she said in a dangerous, disbelieving tone. "You BRICKED her? She's _dead_?"

Nate was seemingly unaffected by her reaction. "No, not _dead,_" he corrected calmly. "Just... trapped. Paralyzed. But still technically _alive._ Isn't that hilarious?"

_I've known a few seeders in my time,_ thought Ree as she stalked away from Nate, _but __never__ have I met one who can stand there and admit to killing another human being so easily!_

Because it _was_ killing, Ree knew. If you're trapped, alone, with no one else knowing you were alive...

You might as well be dead.

* * *

Gabi rapped on the door of a large house with a sign outside it.

"'APOLLO'S HOUSE,'" Dotty read out loud. "'DO NOT ENTER ON PAIN OF A SLOW, MERCILESS DEATH.'"

Gabi shot the front door a terrified glance and backed away rapidly.

"Well," said Dotty, knocking on the door again. "He sounds like a cheerful animal. Gabi, get back here."

The door slowly creaked open to show a tall eagle glaring down his beak at the two rabbits. A cowering Gabi seemed to shrink under his gaze.

"Read the sign, morons," the eagle rumbled in his surprisingly deep voice, shutting the door in their faces.

Dotty shoved her foot in the crack of the door and wedged it open. "Let me in," she said in a stern voice. "I need to tell you something about Ree."


	5. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I own Ree, Nate, and the Eastern Central Junction. (It's sort of like a city/marketplace, in the middle of the Eastern Province. You know how when you leave your town for wifi, your character runs down a cliff? Well, all the cliff passageways lead to the junction.)

* * *

Chapter 4  
The hard-packed dirt under Ree's feet changed to cobblestones as the Eastern Central Junction came into view. The Eastern Central Junction was the easiest way to get from Flower to Never, even though Ree would have to cross its crowded marketplace to get to the right passageway that would lead her home.

Although there had been several forks in the road, Nate was still behind Ree.

"Would you please quit FOLLOWING ME!" she turned around and yelled at the annoying, spiky-haired human. Several animals standing in front of a market stall stared.

"Where are you headed?" he asked, peering around at several large archways that would split into smaller roads leading to individual towns.

Ree abruptly turned and plopped down on a stone bench under a tree. "Here," she glared at him. "I'm waiting for a friend to meet me here."

Nate shifted his gaze to some of the food stands. "You know, I have some time to kill..."

Ree fingered a weapon seed, similar to the one that froze Dotty. "I swear, Nate, if you don't get out of my sight right now, time won't be the only thing being killed around here," she growled in a dangerous tone.

"Can you please just give me a break here?" he snapped. "The truth is, I'm really impressed by your power. In fact, I'd like to issue a formal invitation to join this gang I'm in. Of course, I'd have to run it by the boss first, but I'm sure he'll want you in."

Nate handed Ree a piece of paper, and she barely glanced at it before crumpling it into a ball.

"I'm not interested in any organization that kills people for fun," Ree said, her voice dripping with venom.

Nate's features hardened. "Fine. But I have the feeling that you'll come around." He stepped away, then disappeared into the crowd.

Ree curled her lip at his retreating figure. When she was sure he was gone, she smoothed out the paper.

'TH3 CR00KS' was printed across the top. Below that, a scrawled series of numbers.

Nate's town code.

"Obnoxious little jerk," Ree muttered. She turned to toss it in a nearby trash can, then caught sight of a note written on the back.

_"Don't act so high and mighty. You condemn us for destroying lives,  
while you do the exact same._

You can only gain from joining us. We'll help you to unlock your full  
potential, if you can only swallow your pride. If you change your  
mind, you know where to find me.

We'll be watching.  
-Nate"

Ree snorted and crumpled the paper again, then stuffed it into her pocket. She glanced around and, satisfied that Nate was gone, walked through the archway leading to Never.

* * *

"It's the truth. Ree did something to me that made me freeze, but it wore off and I ran to Gabi's house. Then we came here." Dotty folded her hands in her lap.

"Ree is a kind and generous person!" Apollo growled.

"No, Ree is mean and vicious!" Dotty shot back.

Apollo took a deep breath, then spoke slowly as if to a small child. "You see this house? You see how nice it is? Ree enlarged it for me. Would someone as 'mean' and 'vicious' as you say do something this nice for no reason?"

Dotty glared at the eagle.

"Get out of my sight," he snarled, forcing Dotty and Gabi outside.

Dotty ground her teeth in frustration as Apollo slammed the door shut.

"I'm going to go see the mayor," Dotty mumbled, walking in the direction of the town hall.

Gabi grabbed her friend's arm. "Please, Dotty, just... just forget about this! Ree is... there's nothing wrong with her. She's never d-done anything to me! Please, just come home with me. You can sleep over. I'm begging you, Dotty, please forget her!"

"I'll sleep over," Dotty said reluctantly. "But tomorrow morning, I'm going to see the mayor. No matter what you say."

* * *

Apollo massaged his temples with his wings. From his front room came the sound of the door opening, then Ree's soft footsteps landing on his carpet.

He sighed deeply and raised his head. Ree entered his second room and sat down next to him on the red couch.

"What's wrong?" she asked softly, laying a hand on his wing.

He gazed into her perfect face, then turned away and mumbled unconvincingly, "...nothing."

"You can tell me anything, you know."

Apollo sighed again. "You know that new black-and-white rabbit, about this high?" He held a wing up to his chest to demonstrate.

Ree's face lit up. "Dotty!" she exclaimed. "I met her this morning. She seems like a really fun animal! What about her?"

"Well, her and that white bunny came to visit me earlier today."

"You mean Gabi? She's one of my best friends!"

Apollo looked into her eager face. To him, her every expression and action oozed sincerity. He couldn't help but trust her, and a smile broke out over his face as his doubts were assuaged.

"It's ridiculous, really." He told her Dotty's story.

"Dotty fell in a pitfall? Ohmygosh is she okay?" Ree's hands flew to her mouth in concern.

"She _seemed_ fine to me. A little confused, maybe. For some reason, she thought that _you_ did something to her!"

"But... why would _I_ do something to hurt her? She hasn't done anything to me..." Ree's eyes were wide and confused.

Apollo wrapped a wing around her shoulders. "I don't know why, Ree. Some animals are just going to see a nice person and try to make her feel bad. It doesn't make any sense, but that's the way it is."

Ree pulled away so she could look into his eyes. "Thanks, Apollo. You're such a great friend."

They sat in silence for a few moments.

"Well, I'd better get going," Ree sighed heavily and stood up.

"Goodbye, Ree. Have a good evening," Apollo said tenderly.

"Bye, Apollo." More footsteps, then the front door clicked shut.

Apollo sighed again, this time in contentment. _Ree is such a nice person. And so beautiful..._ he thought. _Unfortunately, that makes her an easy target. Poor girl. Good thing she has me to protect her._

Dotty made the seventh animal who had issued a complaint against Ree. They were obviously all disturbed in the head, though, because so far they had moved out within a week of complaining.

"And we never heard from them again..." Apollo snorted. "Good riddance."

* * *

Unseen to Apollo, a wicked grin flashed across Ree's face.

_Apollo is so gullible,_ she thought, beginning to create another seed for Dotty.


	6. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Animal Crossing belongs to Nintendo.

* * *

Chapter 5  
Dotty peeked around the edge of the door. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the empty room.

The door of the town hall swung shut behind her. "Pelly?" she called cautiously, stepping into the hall.

Pelly stood up from behind the mail counter, looking slightly flustered. "Oh! Hi, Dotty. I was just sorting the mail before Pete comes. It's supposed to be out by nine AM sharp, and it really saves time if I sort before hand. You have a letter from home, by the way. What can I do for you?"

Dotty swept the envelope into her pocket without looking at it. "I was wondering if I could maybe speak to the mayor in private, please?" she asked.

"Well, this is... slightly unusual..." Pelly glanced to Tortimer's empty desk. "... but... seems nice... I suppose it couldn't hurt..." she mumbled to herself. "All right then. Come around here."

She pulled a ring of keys from behind her counter and unlocked a small door to the side. Dotty stepped through, shooting the pelican a grateful glance.

Pelly led Dotty around a machine and behind the mayor's wide desk. She knocked lightly on a door beside a bookshelf, then entered.

The black-and-white rabbit was surprised to see a carpeted hallway running down the length of the back wall.

"Wow. I never guessed _this_ was back here."

"Yes. Space _is_ limited in a small town like this, so Mayor Tortimer put a few rooms in back here. I share an apartment in the basement with my sister, and Pete has a room in the attic. I believe Mr. Nook and the Able sisters also live above their respective shops... Ah! Here we go." She gestured to a door at the end of the hallway.

"This is Mayor Tortimer's private room. I'll just peek in and ask if he will speak with you... If you will be so kind as to wait here, I'll be back in a second."

Pelly knocked loudly on the mayor's door, then entered the room. Dotty hung back, planning what she would say.

_A nice firm handshake, look him in the eyes, be respectful... Hopefully he'll be able to help!_ Dotty worried.

The door opened, and Pelly stepped out. "I'm sorry, but Mayor Tortimer is sleeping right now. Why don't you come back in, say, an hour or so?" she said with a friendly smile.

"Okay. Thanks for everything, Pelly." Dotty smiled and left the town hall.

_Now... what to do for an hour?_ she contemplated. _I could go back to Gabi's place, but she'll probably be upset. Or-_

Dotty's thoughts were interrupted when she spotted a familiar face on the horizon.

Ree.

The rabbit whipped behind a nearby tree trunk, then peered around it to watch.

_Probably off to ruin somebody else's day,_ Dotty thought bitterly, watching the human walk toward the main gate. She pulled her shovel from the pocket of her dress.

_A clear shot... I could save more people from her spite..._ Dotty imagined herself swinging the hefty shovel into the back of Ree's head, watching the girl crumple to the dirt...

She shook her head to dispel the disturbing images and flung the tool to the ground in disgust. _I'm not violent,_ Dotty thought fearfully. _What's wrong with me?_

* * *

Ree took a deep, fulfilling breath of the fresh morning air outside of Never's gates.

_And to think,_ she thought happily, whistling under her breath as she felt the familiar weight of seeds in her bag. _I could be slaving away at some boring desk job right now! Mayhem- it's a tough job, but somebody's got to create it._

Ree was quite satisfied with her self-employment. This particular morning she had her sights set on a newly founded town not far away: Leelah.

"Leelah," she snorted to herself. "Sounds like a random tentacled monster from some obscure video game played only by twelve forty-year-olds living in their mothers' basements."

That image sent her into fits of hysterical laughter.

_I'll never be able to seed that town now,_ she thought, wiping the tears from her eyes. _Because even though it's not that funny, I'll be forced to see that nerd mashing buttons while stuffing snack cakes in his face every time I hear the name._

A single cloud drifted across the pure blue sky, followed by two more, until the beautiful morning sun was completely covered.

Her laughter echoed strangely off the cliff walls. Ree stopped, but the disembodied sound continued much longer.

As the last, drawn out echo hovered in the air, a chill wind, bringing with it the stench of darkness and decay, whipped through the wide ravine. The unnatural shadows began to creep over the path in front of her.

Suddenly on edge, adrenaline coursed through Ree's veins. She knew instinctively that something lay before her that was about to emerge from the shadows, something that shouldn't exist in the light of day...

She crept forward slowly, one hand on a weapon seed. A feeling of being watched and hunted skittered up her spine, and her eyes darted back and forth.

"You must be that Ree I've heard so much about," a dry, slightly rasping voice said from somewhere to her left.

Ree stifled a shriek and jumped several paces back. The shadows, clinging to the cliff like cobwebs, seemed to coalesce and form into the shape of a human...

Ree's heart thudded in her chest as a man stepped out of the darkness. Every movement spoke of malice, and every step was an unspoken threat.

He must have been handsome at some time in the past, but now his features were distorted by a lifetime of rage and hate. His skin was pale under the spiked white hair, while his eyes were chips of blue ice. Ree met his gaze, and her blood ran cold.

"So far, I'm not impressed," he sneered. Ree was paralyzed like a rat locked in a snake's eyes.

With immense effort, she tore her vision away from him and focused on the sea of faces that had appeared. They were all identical, with spiky white hair and hockey masks obscuring most of their faces, but somehow that made it easier to pick out the tiny differences.

Ree recognized Nate standing behind the man with a triumphant expression in his eyes. She glared at him, but was distracted by the man studying her. To keep herself from meeting the man's eyes, she scrutinized the humans in the circle around her.

Around her...

A terrifyingly cold grin spread across his face.

She was trapped.


	7. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I own the world! Muwhahahaha! But not Animal Crossing.

* * *

Chapter 6  
Ree's already elevated heart rate shot up.

"W-who are you?" she gulped, her eyes flicking from the road back to Never to his entirely humorless smile. Anything to avoid those eyes.

"My name is Lucifer," he said nonchalantly. "But to my Cr00kz, including you, the name is Boss. Master is also a good one, or any variation of it."

"Wait a minute. Wasn't that other guy, what's-his-face, the so-called leader of the Cr00kz? I've never heard of you," Ree stalled, keeping her eyes on the leering Nate.

Lucifer laughed, and his minions around him began laughing as well. "Very good," he said, and the laughter cut off abruptly. "It seems as though one of our plans is working. Having many rumored leaders makes myself, the true leader, harder to target."

Ree moved onto her next question, successfully keeping her voice from shaking. "How did you find me?"

"And I thought you were supposed to be intelligent! Really, after that entrance, do you think that we would have any trouble following you?"

She glared up at Lucifer's forehead. "Whatever, _Lucy._ Why did you bother? What would you have to gain from _me,_ a single seeder next to your massive clan?"

Rage colored his tone. "You are to address me as Boss at all times!" His hands twitched as though they were itching to clamp around her throat, but he made no move. With visible effort, he calmed himself down.

"You are a powerful seeder," he continued. "You have done things my Cr00kz have only dreamed about."

"She corrupted this pear, Boss," Nate interjected, stepping forward and handing the fruit to Lucifer. "She made a pear into a seed."

"Impossible..." he muttered, obviously taken aback. "How... how can this be possible?" Lucifer turned the pear over and over in his hands. Some measure of control returned after a few tense minutes, and the chill seeped back into his gaze. "Very well. It seems as though we have even more use for you now."

"Why?" Ree challenged. "You have all your little Cr00kz who destroy things at your whim. Why would you bother adding one more difficult, rebellious one to your collection? Lucy?"

"Deseeders!" he snarled, the word like a curse. Lucifer began to pace angrily back and forth, finally taking his eyes from Ree's face. "Seeders who've gone _good_. We defeated the Spectrum Pirates, we wiped the Icers off the map _ages_ ago! But _no,_ the deseeders undid all our glorious work, they stop us at every turn!"

Ree was readying herself to escape, but her head snapped around at his words. "They can do that? Remove seeds from a town?"

Lucifer shot her a scathing look. "What rock have you been living under? And I thought I told you to call me Boss?"

Ree ignored the taunts, caught up in her thoughts. _So some of the fruits of my labor may have been erased,_ she thought angrily, clenching her fists.

"So self-righteous..." he muttered, glaring down at the dirt with a strange expression in his cold eyes.

Ree viciously agreed with him, and for a moment they were united against a common foe.

He raised his eyes and they met Ree's, the strange expression still in them. "The enemy of your enemy is your friend?" Lucifer said quietly, almost hopefully.

"I don't think that applies to this situation," she replied softly.

The cold fury that usually laced his features returned, and his gaze hardened. "I will have you as my minion. By the time I am through, you will come crawling and begging to serve me."

"Yeah. Sure." Ree ignored the threat. Her eyes met Nate's, and a moment of wordless communication passed between them.

_Don't do it. It will only make life more difficult for you,_ his eyes seemed to say.

_Too late,_ she mouthed back. Not seeing her preparations, Lucifer turned away from her, his hands clasped behind his back.

_Now._

Ree struck, flinging one seed at the seeder blocking her way and another at Lucifer's back. The seeder was frozen, surprise evident on his face behind the mask. Lucifer flicked his wrist and the seed deflected, striking the dirt harmlessly. He spun around, face contorted with rage, but Ree had already pushed past the paralyzed seeder and was sprinting back to the safety of Never's gates.

Lucifer seemed to be roaring curses at the sky as wildly thrown seeds whistled past her head. The open gateway drew closer, and Ree rocketed through the entrance, pulling the heavy doors closed. Copper and Booker rushed to her aid, and she stood, panting heavily, against the door as it thudded behind her.

The only sound in the gateroom was her deep breathing. Copper watched her silently, a question in his face.

"Lock the gate," she finally muttered, not meeting his eyes. "And don't open it again, not for anything."

"Yes, Miss Ree." Copper saluted.

Ree left the gatehouse, blinking in the sudden sunlight, the last image before the gate slammed shut etched into her mind: Nate, with an expression of pity, and Lucifer, his face twisted with inhuman rage.

She shivered in a way that had nothing to do with the heat of the day.

* * *

Dotty folded her hands nervously in her lap and looked into the mayor's aged face. The mayor himself was busy with finding a comfortable spot in the chair behind his desk.

The rabbit sighed heavily. _Looks like this could take a while,_ she thought wryly as Tortimer moved a single sheet of paper between two stacks over and over again, occasionally stopping to make a mark or erase something else.

To occupy herself, Dotty scrutinized the room. It was furnished old-fashionedly, yet plainly. If she had to name a theme, Dotty supposed she would call it ranch, although the furniture was old enough to have inspired the ranch set. The chair Dotty sat on felt especially solid, unlike Tom Nook's more modern shrinkable furniture.

The room was almost completely spartan except for three things: a picture beside the bed of a young, smiling female tortoise, a fancy chair pushed up against the back wall, and the desk around which they now sat.

"Yes," the mayor said loudly, peering down at a piece of paper. "Dolly, is it? What can I do for you?"

"I'm Dotty," she corrected. "And I'm here to talk about Ree."

"Whuzzat? Speak up, whippersnapper! Nobody can hear you if yer a'mumblin' like that! Heh heh heh HOORF!"

"REE," Dotty repeated. "There's something I need to say about Ree."

"Ree? The human? Yes, she gave me a nice massage chair a while back. Really helps the aches in these old bones! Hoorf!"

"I don't want to talk about the chair! Ree-"

"You don't like Ree's hair? Well, you'd have to take it up with that poodle, what was her name... Barry-something. Talk about Ree's hair with Barry!"

Dotty ground her teeth together, sensing that she would get no help from the senile turtle. "No, not her hair, Ree-"

"Ah, yes, Ree. Gave me a wonderful massage chair, that one did."

"AAARGH! I just came to say that Ree did something to me that made me freeze, and to ask for you to do something, but if you won't, then I'll just leave now!" Dotty threw up her paws in frustration and stormed out.

"Wait," said the mayor's wheezy voice from behind her.

Dotty paused with her paw on the door and turned her head halfway back. "What?" she asked flatly.

"Listen, sprout," he said in a peculiar, almost pleading tone. "As the mayor of Never, I have certain responsibilities and privileges, y'know? Privileges that... _some citizens_ might enjoy having. Privileges that I would rather keep from the hands of _some citizens_. It's the least I can do. Acting the way I do, well..." his voice dropped to a mere mumble "... it might be the only thing keeping me alive, you know what I mean?"

"So let me get this straight." Barely suppressed anger leached into her words. "You know that something's wrong with that human. You _know_, _you_, possibly the only one in this town with the power to do something about it, but you refuse to help."

The wizened old turtle shrugged helplessly.

"Very well, then," Dotty said stiffly.

The door swung shut behind her.


	8. Chapter 7

[Chapter 7]  
Dotty kicked a rock viciously, then grabbed her foot in agony.

_Why will no one around here listen about Ree?_ she thought, angry tears springing to her eyes.

_They're scared,_ she answered herself. _And you should be scared too, just think about her power!_

An involuntary shiver swept through her body as she recalled the terrifying feeling of being frozen.

_That's right, just let the ones with more experience handle this,_ a voice in her head soothed. _Just put it all in the hands of the authorities and stay out of it._

"No," Dotty promised herself out loud. "No, I won't sit back like a helpless little girl. There are more animals in this town than just Apollo and Tortimer, there must be someone else willing to stand up to her."

_All I wanted was to start over in a new town with my best friend,_ she thought, pacing along the riverbank. _I mean, would it really have been so hard for Gabi to tell me she was being terrorized by a psychotic human? But __no__, Ree just had to come along and ruin everything._ Dotty stooped and absentmindedly picked up a river rock, cocking her arm back in preparation to throw.

_Ree... Ree is the real root of all my problems. If she would just go away, then everything would go back to normal..._

It took Dotty a moment to realize that she was aiming the stone at the back of a white-ponytailed human head.

The suddenly heavy rock fell from Dotty's grasp with a splash.

_That's the second time I've almost hurt Ree!_ she thought in a panic, dashing away. _I've got to do something; I won't let myself stoop to her level!_

* * *

Tom Nook stroked the collar of his suit, admiring his impressive figure in the mirror.

_How professional... how dashing... how... __exquisite__!_ he thought, walking back to the main room of his upscale shop as the door chimed in a customer.

It was the new black-and-white rabbit, Dotty. "Hello, Dotty! Welcome to Never's Nookington's! How may I help you on this fine day?" Nook cried jovially.

Dotty, looking scared, gulped and held out some tools. "I-I'd like to sell these, p-please," she stuttered.

Tom Nook took the pieces from her and inspected them. "The axe has a few notches... hm, I'll have to take off for that... The slingshot looks to be in top condition... yes... And, why, this shovel is golden! Are you quite sure you wish to sell it?"

"Y-y-yes," Dotty said, mumbling something that sounded like 'Ree.'

_Ree..._ Nook pondered. _Something about that girl always sends chills down my spine. Quite the shady character, hm? Yes... Well, she is my best customer, and I've always said I don't care where the Bells come from, so long as they're real! Ho ho ho ho!_

Tom Nook, having decided this, turned back around to Dotty. "These items wouldn't be... er... incriminating, now would they?" he said, lowering his voice and glancing around suspiciously.

Dotty's eyes were wide and frightened, and she could barely speak. "N-n-n-n-no!" she forced out. "W-w-why would you a-ask something l-like th-that?"

"Okay," Nook gave her a quick, sharp stare, then handed over a bag of money. "That's nine hundred Bells," he tacked on at the end.

Dotty took the bag and cast her eyes down. "Thank you," she mumbled, walking out of the shop.

Tom Nook watched her leave with amazement. "I wonder what was wrong with her?" he said to himself. "Didn't even notice that I gave her only five hundred Bells."

Nook shook his head once, then went back to his mirror.

* * *

Dotty paced around her room, her possessions still in cardboard boxes.

"I got rid of anything dangerous," she muttered to herself. "But that doesn't solve all my problems... I know! I'll write to Tiffany! She'll know what to do, she acts like she knows everything anyways."

Dotty abruptly stopped pacing, digging feverishly through box after box until she unearthed a packet of stationery. Choosing a piece of sparkly paper, she began to write:

_"Dear Tiffany, my favorite older sister,_

How are you? I'm busy settling into a  
new town named Never. It's going fine.

Oh, but do you know anything about  
humans who have the power to, say,  
freeze somebody? Just curious.

Write back soon,  
Dotty =)"

She folded the letter and stuffed it in a blue envelope, printing Tiffany's name in large font on the front.

Dotty swept out the door, leaving items scattered all over her floor. She tried to walk quickly to the town hall, unable to trust herself with even this simple errand, jumping at every small movement between the trees.

Pelly was standing at the mail counter inspecting a stack of papers, but looked up and smiled as Dotty entered.

"Hello, Dotty. I assume you have a letter to be mailed?" she asked kindly, spotting the envelope in the rabbit's tight grip.

"Yes, Pelly," Dotty replied, forcing a smile. "This is for Tiffany, my older sister, in Leelah."

"Okay." Pelly took the letter and put it into an outgoing mail bin. "Oh, that makes it pretty much full. Pete!" she called clearly.

Less than three seconds later, a male pelican entered the hall silently. He picked up the bulging mailbag and, tipping his hat to Dotty and Pelly, left without a word.

Pelly giggled and gave a little wave, then sighed dreamily. Dotty, sensing that the pelican would be preoccupied, turned to leave.

"Oh! Wait, Pelly!" Dotty exclaimed, whirling around and snapping Pelly back to the present.

Pelly blushed. "Yes, Dotty?"

"Do you..." the rabbit said, suddenly hesitant. "Do you know anything about Ree?"

"No, not really." She frowned. "Just that she moved in last August."

"Nothing... strange? Unusual?"

"No. She's one of Nook's best customers, but I've heard that most humans are. She has a lot of out-of-town mail. Why?"

"...oh, no reason. Just curious."

Back at the counter, Pelly shrugged and went back to her daydreaming.

_Look at me, I'm a wreck!_ Dotty thought, biting her fingernails. She began to trudge all the way home, her eyes darting from side to side.

"I'm falling apart," she moaned, leaning against a tree trunk and burying her face in her paws. Fear, frustration, and stress began to leak out of her tight hold, and negative thoughts overwhelmed her. She broke down sobbing in the quiet wood as the shadows lengthened around her.

Dotty felt completely and utterly alone.

* * *

A/N: Meh, I don't really like this chapter. Whatever, just keep reading. :P


	9. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: You know the drill. :P

* * *

[Chapter 8]  
Some time later, Dotty gained control of herself. She straightened up, surprised to see how dark it was. Wiping her eyes, she sort of collected herself and started home.

She had plans to make.

Dotty understood now. It was as though her breakdown had washed all the fear and confusion from her, leaving nothing but a determined resolve.

If no one else was going to confront Ree, she would have to.

But maybe she wasn't _completely_ alone. It had only been a little over two days since she had moved in; with all this drama, Dotty had forgotten to meet her fellow villagers.

_There has to be at least __one__ out there who will help me,_ Dotty thought, revitalized.

She unfolded a square of paper - her map - from her pocket and scanned it for names. A house labeled 'Whitney' was by far the closest.

Dotty wheeled around and headed to the spot on the map, determination fueling her movements.

* * *

A door swung silently open, and a beautiful white wolf poked her head out.

"What?" she looked around, then down at Dotty. "Oh. Hello."

"Hi, my name's Dotty. I moved in a couple days ago."

"I'm Whitney. What do you want?"

"How long have you lived here?"

"Couple years. What a weird question."

"So, you were here when Ree moved in? What do you know about her?"

To her surprise, Whitney threw the door open wider and pulled Dotty in. "What are you doing?" Whitney hissed, locking the door securely. "You can't just go around asking questions like that! You've obviously met her, you've seen what she's like! Do you have some sort of a death wish?"

"No, I want to do something about her," Dotty said, hands on hips.

"Obviously, there's nothing that _can_ be done about her!" Whitney retorted, still whispering.

Dotty crossed her arms. "Of course there can! It's just not right, she has no right to go around freezing people-"

Whitney's face paled under her fur. "She _froze_ you? Oh, no. Oh, no no no no!"

The white wolf's tone made Dotty pause. "What?" she asked uncertainly.

"I'm really sorry you moved here, Dotty," Whitney said sorrowfully, herding the small rabbit outside the door.

"...wait, what? Wait, Whitney, I need your help, I'm going to take her down... WHITNEY!" she yelled in vain. Whitney closed the door in Dotty's face, locking it tightly with a sharp click.

* * *

Dotty paced in front of her mailbox. It was 8:59 am, and she was waiting for Pete.

_When is that lazy mailbird finally going to get here?_ she growled.

Two impatient, frustrating days had passed without a reply from Tiffany. No one around town seemed willing to do anything about Ree, and Dotty was at a standstill.

"Finally!" she burst out when the pelican landed in front of her. Pete, looking ruffled, shot her a dirty look along with a letter, then took off.

Dotty eagerly ripped open the pale pink envelope inscribed with Tiffany's curly handwriting.

_"Dear Dotty,  
Hey girl! I'm glad you're doing great!  
I'm fine myself._

About that other thing, it sounds like  
a seeder. But don't worry, li'l sis. It's  
probably some kid just trying to scare  
you with stories.

Chill out! -the fab Tiffany"

Dotty scanned the lacy paper over and over, one word echoing hollowly in her mind.

_Seeder._


	10. Chapter 9

[Chapter 9]  
Ree awoke in her darkened room, gasping for breath. Beads of sweat dampened her forehead, and her eyes searched the corners for danger.

She reached over and flicked on a lamp, trying to calm herself down. It was as though she could still feel icy fear prickling down her spine, cold eyes glaring from the darkness, that hot breath on the back of her neck as she ran, ran without a chance of escape...!

_No,_ she told herself sternly. _Fear is not for you. You are an intelligent, resourceful, determined human with a talent for destruction. Fear is for the normal people you come in contact with. It was only a nightmare._

Ree glanced at her clock and groaned. Seven a.m. Too early for her to function, yet too late to go back to sleep and not be more exhausted than before.

_I'll just take a morning walk. Calm down a bit. Then I'll go to Leelah like was planned and seed it. A little mayhem always makes me feel better._

Ree, stretching and yawning, grabbed a mug of coffee and slipped into her usual style dress. White birds chirped above her against the sunrise-stained sky, and a cool, refreshing mist hugged the ground.

_They should have mornings in the afternoon,_ Ree thought drowsily, yawning once more. _That way more people can enjoy it._

* * *

Pelly, mug of steaming coffee in hand, stepped into the town hall just as the clock on the wall began to chime. She crossed the room to the snoring Phyllis and shook her awake.

"What'd you do that for?" Phyllis grumbled, running her wing down her face. "I was having this great dream about all these monsters chasing Pete. They were covered in rainbow feathers, with big white beaks that covered their faces and black, staring eyes. They kept shooting him with slingshots until he fell. You should've seen it, it was hilarious."

"That is most certainly not hilarious!" Pelly said indignantly, crossing through the gap in the counter to get to her chair.

"Oh, relax," Phyllis scowled. "It's not like anything actually happened to him."

The pink pelican grabbed Pelly's mug and vaulted over the counter, knocking over a stack of envelopes on her way out the door.

Pelly sighed and straightened the pile, hunting for the paperwork she was sure her sister hadn't finished. She pulled out a folder labeled 'Report of Environmental Impact, Board of Town Beautification Society' and searched for a pen.

Pelly noticed the size of the outgoing mail bag. It obviously hadn't been emptied today, and there was no incoming mail for her to sort.

"Pete," Pelly called, turning back and putting her signature on the final form. It was a few minutes before she noticed there had been no response.

"Pete?" That was odd. Usually Pete was up by five, and he never kept Pelly waiting when there was mail involved.

_Maybe he just went out for a walk,_ Pelly thought, a strange feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach. She walked slowly to the entrance and hesitated with her wing on the knob, suddenly reluctant to know what lay outside...

...but she threw open the door and, seeing nothing on the step, yelled at the top of her lungs.

"PETE!"

Silence.

* * *

The road before her looked benign, but Ree was suspicious. After jolting awake against a tree fifteen minutes ago, the late morning sun seemed strangely artificial.

The sun baked the stone walls of the cliff. There were no shadows--_Good,_ Ree thought--but also no relief from the heat.

She reached the sharp curve in the path and slowed, nervous that something would jump out, her nightmare still fresh in her mind.

Something brushed against her leg and she started, then relaxed. A single long white feather, caught by a slight breeze, drifted along the ground.

More confident and relaxed, Ree continued on with her errand.

"Hello, Ree," a cheerful voice called.

Ree turned slowly around and glared. Two identical seeders were leaning against the rock in the shadow of the curve. At her gaze, they detached themselves and moved opposite her.

"The Boss was sure you'd see it out way," the one on the left said in the same cheery voice, but with an undercurrent of something dangerous.

"Yeah," the other one piped up. "But Nate wasn't so confident. Nate thought you'd be more stubborn."

"Has a pretty high opinion of you, apparently."

"Well, tell him I'm flattered, then," Ree said, bitingly sarcastic.

"You can tell him yourself when you come back with us."

Ree shot the pair a charming smile. "I'm very sorry, boys, but I'll have to reschedule. I have a... previous commitment."

She tried to walk around them, but they moved to block her path. Her smile became stiff as she attempted to force her way through several times, only to be driven back.

"We're sorry, Ree," the left seeder said, a contradictory leer twisting his mouth. "But the Boss told us not to let anyone leave until you come with us."

Ree, gritting her teeth, turned sharply and strode away.

"Come on, Ree," one said, a taunting note in his voice. "Don't be this way. It'll be a lot less painful if you just do what the Boss says."

"Although," the other said thoughtfully, "it'll be a lot more fun for us if you don't."

"Yes... Your pelican friend was fun. He squawked like mad. Made quite a ruckus. There were feathers everywhere." Menace had crept back into their voices.

One heartbeat of pure silence.

Then Ree heard the sounds of a pursuit behind her and exploded into action. Her feet pounded the dirt as she raced back to the high, impassable walls of her town. Back to the cliffs encircling the village, with its one passageway that was so easily defended.

Back to the stone walls of her fortress, which had now become the bars of her cage.


	11. Chapter 10

[Chapter 10]  
Every day. Every day for the past week, she had gone around knocking on every animal's door, save for Gabi and Apollo. Apollo seemed to be set in his ways, and Gabi was unenthusiastic about the whole thing. She was too meek to oppose her friend, but also too meek to be helpful.

Dotty ground her teeth together in frustration. It was as though the truth was a flame burning inside her, filling her with a frenzied vigor and demanding constant and immediate action. She yearned to do _something,_ anything, but the other villagers refused to take a side.

Although, in their defense, Dotty had acted slightly less than sane once she had realized Ree was a seeder. Her hysterical insistence that one of the most feared creatures from legend was living among them probably just convinced the villagers that she was crazy and needed to be dealt with.

"Dotty," Gabi whined, trotting behind her friend. "Why can't you just give this up? You're acting, like, totally cuckoo, honeybun!"

"Gabi," the other rabbit sighed back. "Don't you understand? That _human_ is a thing of pure evil. It's my duty to stop her."

"Yeah, duty, whatever. But please, Dotty, can't we just go back to the way we planned it before? Best friends living in the same town and having fun? You know, the reason that you moved here?"

Dotty halted for a moment to stare at Gabi in amazement. "I can't just _ignore_ everything that I know now! For the past few days, Ree hasn't been out of town at _all_. She's looking more and more frustrated every day! And on Saturday I saw her dashing out of the gatehouse looking all scared! I'm pretty sure that Tom Nook's not doing well either. And we haven't had any out-of-town mail in a while."

"So?"

Dotty grabbed the white rabbit's shoulders and shook them slightly. "So, there's something going on. It's making Ree nervous! And I, for one, see this as the perfect time to add some pressure."

Gabi looked unconvinced. "You're not very fun anymore," she grumbled.

The other rabbit ignored her and started off again. "Come on. We have work to do."

* * *

SPLASH!

Alfonso stood on the beach, suddenly soaking wet. His normally drooping eyes were wide open with shock as rivulets of water dripped off his snout.

"IT'S A ME!" he exclaimed, looking around. His eyes alighted on Marina, who was standing a few steps away and grinning cheekily.

"Marina!" he cried, shivering as a drop of chilly ocean water ran down his spine. "Did you see who just dropped water on me?"

Marina dissolved into peals of laughter. "It was _me,_ blurp!" she choked out, clutching her sides.

"Oh." This information dawned on him slowly. When it did, he dropped the shells he had collected and scooped up a pile of wet sand instead.

"SANDBALL FIGHT!" Alfonso yelled, flinging the soggy muck at Marina.

The pink octopus giggled and ducked, gathering her own ammo. She hit Alfonso on his arm and ran to hide behind a palm tree.

Marina stopped when she caught sight of Dotty and Gabi standing together in the distance. She lost track of the game for a moment, and was promptly nailed in between her shoulder blades.

"Oh! Dotty!" Marina's good mood vanished as the two made their way down the shore.

"Hello, Marina. How are you today?" Dotty smiled pleasantly.

The distressed octopus edged away slightly. "Oh, you know, busy. I can't talk, I was just on my way to-"

"Oh, I only need a moment!" Dotty grabbed her arm as she turned to leave.

Gabi shifted behind her friend's back, as though she wanted nothing more than to be as far away as possible. "Dotty, let her go," she mumbled without any conviction.

Dotty ignored both of them. "I know you might not believe some of the stuff I've been saying lately-"

Gabi coughed and looked away.

"-but I promise you that it's the truth. Ree is a seeder. And-"

Gabi coughed pointedly once again.

"-all I'm asking you to do is hear me out. Come to my house in three days, and I'll show you some proof. I'm not asking you to believe me, I'm not asking you to do anything about it. Just to give me a chance."

Marina averted her eyes and stepped back.

"Wait!" Dotty lunged forward, now desperate. "I promise that if you just come to this meeting, I'll never bug you again! I'll even move away if you're not convinced!"

The octopus sighed heavily. "Fine. All the townsfolk will be at your house at noon three days from now. But you'd better have some serious proof."

* * *

The next morning dawned misty and brisk. One lone figure strode through and was quickly enveloped by the dense fog. A few moments later, another figure silently followed the first.

Dotty hung back, far enough to avoid detection but close enough to not lose sight of Ree. As predicted, the human was once more headed to the front gate. So far, she always appeared soon after leaving, panting hard and in a fearsome mood.

Dotty hid behind a nearby tree and waited. For her plan to work, Ree would have to run out of the gatehouse as she usually did. If everything went okay, the citizens of Never wouldn't have to worry about Ree anymore, and they could all be happy...

Fifteen minutes later, the human reappeared.

Dotty tensed as Ree walked by her hiding place. If she saw Dotty...

Thankfully Ree kept storming off, muttering curses under her breath. Dotty slipped into the dark gatehouse.

Only Booker was on guard. It was easy to sneak past the snoring bulldog and pull the gate open a crack.

Dotty dropped to her hands and knees, searching the dirt outside the town for something. Her paws found an invisible object lying next to the cliff.

Triumphantly, she held the discarded seed up to the early morning light.


	12. Chapter 11

[Chapter 11]  
Ree was running for her life, once again. But by now, ten days after the first encounter with Lucifer, the Cr00kz had ceased to intimidate her.

Much.

_I'm just annoyed,_ Ree told herself, trying to calm her shaking limbs. Her eyes quickly adjusted as she burst into the gatehouse's protective gloom.

The town gate swung shut with a heavy thud. Ree whirled around and slammed her fist into the wall of the gatehouse in frustration.

"I'll lock the gate, Miss Ree," Copper said after a moment.

"Yeah. Sure," Ree said in a defeated tone. "How... how's Nook been doing? With his deliveries, I mean?"

"None have been coming through, Miss Ree," he replied calmly.

She searched his eyes for hidden meaning, and saw something surprising there.

"You've known for a while now, haven't you? That I am who I am."

Copper nodded slowly and deliberately. "As the keeper of Never's gates, I see many things. Many things, Miss Ree..." he trailed off, giving her time to consider the implications.

"Then I might have need for you. I'm getting tired of being trapped here, and I want to do something about it." Ree lowered her voice so Booker wouldn't hear. "Come to the Roost tomorrow night at eleven o'clock."

Copper's only answer was a salute, but Ree was happy with that.

* * *

Gabi was unhappy. Ever since Dotty moved in, her life had gotten more and more complicated. She didn't like complicated. No, Gabi much preferred a simple, happy existence. One filled with sunshine and flowers and cute clothes and shiny jewelry. Dotty had forced scheming and missions into the picture, leaving Gabi resentful.

The door to Nookington's chimed open, letting out a blast of cool air. Dotty was off doing who-cares-what, so Gabi took the opportunity for a little retail therapy.

She appeared to have stepped in on an argument. Tom Nook shot her a harassed, embarrassed look, then turned back to the irate Buck.

Gabi could hardly lift out of her dark mood enough to be curious anymore, but it would be nice to hear some juicy gossip again. She drifted closer to the pair, pretending to look at a pack of sky paper.

"-but I ordered my Flab-Blaster 9000 a week ago!" protested Buck in his usual arrogant tone.

"I know, I know! But it just hasn't been delivered yet! I can't sell you items I don't have, hm?"

Gabi sighed. Nothing interesting, Buck was just being Buck. She trudged over to the stairs leading to the second floor.

"I paid ten thousand Bells up front, but you won't be getting the other seven thousand if my exercise machine doesn't come in soon!" Buck demanded, stomping out of the shop. The sound of Tom Nook's sigh and another entering the shop barely registered in Gabi's mind.

There was nothing worth her money upstairs. In fact, it seemed to be the same unsold furniture from a few days ago.

_Maybe the Able Sisters will have something,_ Gabi thought dully, strolling slowly down the stairs. Whispers of a soft conversation drifted to her sensitive ears.

"I knew it! I knew you had something to do with the delayed deliveries, Ree!" Tom Nook's voice raised with anger.

_Ree!_

Gabi froze midstep. _What if Ree knows what Dotty's been saying about her?_ she thought fearfully. _What if she blames me for it?_

Ree and Tom had gone back to their mumbled conversation. Now that Gabi really looked at him, Tom Nook didn't look so good. There were deep-set bags under his eyes, and his skin seemed to be sagging off his frame, as though he wasn't as well-fed as usual. His normally immaculate suit was crumpled, matching his unusually dull and weary eyes.

Ree was leaving. "Remember: tomorrow night, the Roost, eleven pm," she said, looking Tom in the eyes.

Gabi's heart skipped a beat as the sliding doors closed behind Ree. _Dotty will want to know about that,_ she thought, taking another step.

She froze again. Dotty's voice played out in her imagination.

_Ree's planning something at the Roost? This __proves__ she's evil! I want you to risk your life and infiltrate the meeting, all in the name of my creepy obsession!_ Gabi growled to herself, _but it's what she'd mean._

Maybe that's not what she'd say,

The white rabbit fiddled with her ears for a moment, then deliberately forgot the whole conversation.

_It'll be better for Dotty if I don't tell her,_ Gabi thought, biting her lip nervously. _Maybe she'll get over this whole thing sooner._

* * *

Ree walked into the town hall just as the clock chimed midnight. Her footsteps echoed around the empty room. Although the hall was open twenty-four hours a day, most citizens mailed their letters during the daytime.

Ree was not most citizens.

She crossed over to where a pink pelican was snoring with her head on the mail counter and gave her a sharp jab in the arm. "Oi. Philly. Wake up," she called loudly as the pelican stirred.

"Don't touch me, I might catch your disease," Phyllis grumbled, only half joking.

"Ha ha, Phyllis. This is serious."

"Why? Is something really dangerous going on? It is, isn't it?" the pelican said, giving Ree a sharp look. "Because I know you know that no mail is making it out of the town, and I know you couldn't care less about town tunes or the environment. You have no reason to be here, except to see my smiling face. Alfonso's been in here at least seventeen times asking for his Chilling Magazine, and Pete hasn't shown up for work in _days._"

"Not one to beat around the bush, are you?" Ree said darkly, taking a deep breath. "You're right. But, for once, I'm not causing it. The truth is, we're all trapped here. Could I persuade you to leave the hall and come down to the Roost tomorrow night, say, eleven pm?"

"Leave my work?" Phyllis said in a tone of fake shock. "Whyever should I do that?"

Ree snickered. "Just be there. I'll explain everything, and I might even need your help."

She grinned as she strolled home. _So far, so good. Now I just have to convince them._

She was Ree. There was nothing she had to worry about.


End file.
